Boiler-tube cleaner.



W. E. FRAZBE,

I BOILER TUBE CLEANER. APPLICATION FILED 00T. 26, 190B.

`91 5 ,584. Patented Mar. 16, 1909.

A TTOHNEYS WILLIS EDGAR FRAZEE, OF PERHAM, MINNESOTA.

BOILER-TUBE CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led October 26, 1908.

Patented March 16, 1909.

Serial No. 459,505.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIS EDGAR FRA- ZEE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Perham, in the county of Ottertail and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and Improved Boiler-Tube Cleaner, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to boiler tube cleaners, and it hasfor its object to provide a cleaner which will spring and expand the flue, thereby cracking all scale, which will fall of its own weight to the bottom of the boiler my invention being more especially devised for cleaning the exterior surfaces of the flues of a tubular boiler.

Another object of my invention is to journal a roller in a block which fits in a recess in the head, the block having its inner surfaces tapered to contact with the tapered surfaces on the central needle which screws in the head.

Still other objects of the invention will ap ear in the following complete description.

n this specification I will describe the preferred form of my invention, but it will be understood that I do not limit myself thereto as I consider myself entitled to all forms and embodiments of the invention which may be held to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures, in which Figure 1 is a view showing the cleaner connected with the operating rod g Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3 Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a plan view of the cleaner, portions of the head being broken away to show the manner in which two of the rollers are journaled in the head; and Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

By referring to the drawings, it will be seen thata head 1 has a recess 2 therein, the recess 2 extending to a longitudinal orifice 3, this orifice 3 being threaded at 4, the sides of the head extending at 5 to decrease the diameter of the orifice. In the head 1 are journaled two or more rollers 6, two being shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, these rollers being preferably disposed at an angle to the axis of the head. In the recess 2 is disposed a block 7, the inner face S of which is tapered, this inner face being preferably cone-shaped.l In the yblock 7 is journaled a roller 9, the recess 2 and the block 7 being preferably annular in shape. The rollers 6 project beyond the periphery of the head and are disposed close together and the roller 9 which also normally projects beyond the periphery of the head is oppositely disposed so that it will with theV rollers 6 spring the flue transversely in a plurality of directions as the head is revolved relatively thereto. A screw 10 meshes with a screw thread in the head, the screw being adapted to engage the block 7 to hold it in position relatively to the head, there being preferably a groove 11 in the block, in which the point of the screw 10 may be inserted. In the orifice 3 is disposed aneedle 12, the needle 12 having a screw thread 13 which meshes with the thread at 4, in the head 1. The needle 12 also has a frusto-conical portion 14 which engages the tapered surface 8 of the block 7. The terminals 15 of the needle 12 are preferably reduced to permit of the rotation of the needle by means of a wrench. To the-end of the head, opposite its portion 5, is secured a collar 16, which has a screw thread on its outer surface. A coupling 17 is provided having a screw thread on its inner surface, the screw thread on the cou ling 17 meshing with the screw thread on t e collar 16, and also meshing with a screwthread on-an operating rod 18'. By means of screws 19, the coupling 17 is firmly secured to the operating rod 18 and to the collar 16.

In using my invention, the head is inserted in the fiue just beyond the flue sheet, Vafter which the needle 12 is turned by means of a monkey wrench, thereby moving the frustoconical surface 14 of the needle 12, which throws out the block 7 in which the roller 9 is journaled, the point of the screw 10 traveling in the groove 11 to revent any rotary movement of the block re atively to the head. By this means the flue is sprung and as the head is revolved by means of the operating rod 1,8, the ilue is expanded in different directions, thereby cracking the scale, which falls to the bottom of the boiler. The roller 6 and also the roller 9 are disposed at any desired angle with reference to the axis of the head, to ermit more readily of the movement of tlie head through the boiler fiue, as the head is rotated.

Having thus described my inventioln'l elaimasnewand desire to secure l-by Letters Patent:

l. A boiler tube cleaner .consisting of aI head having a threaded orifice, there being a recess in the head which extends ato the .orifLoe, a block having a tapered inner surface disposed in the lrecess, a `roller journaled iin. the block, a threaded needle which meshes with the thread in the orifice, the 'needle having a tapered surface which engages the tapered surface on the block, the lheadhavi-ng a neck at one of its ends7 there-'beingan-ou-ter thread on the neck, `a hollow operating rod with -a screw thread With the same mesh as that of the collar, and a sleeve having -an inner thread which is `adapted -or Tmeshing With the screw threads of the lneck andthe rod to hold them together.

2. A lboiler tube Ycleaner -eonsisting of a head having a threaded orificel there being a face disposed in the recess, means for preventing the :rotation-of the block relatively to the head, a roller journaled in the block, a

threaded needle which meshes with the thread in the oriiiee7 the needle having a ,rustdconioal surface which is adaptedk for engaging .the tapered surface of the block, and a second roller journaled in a recess in the head substantially opposite the first named roller, the axes of the rollers'being disposedat anangle-to the axis of the head.

In 'testimony whereof I vhave signed .my name to 'this specification `in the presence oi' two subscribing Witnesses V'ILLIS EDGAR fFiPtAZEE.

Witnesses:

ALBERT C. JEROME, Jol-IN FOYER. 

